Prevent auto-selected text from copying I really like the Linux-style copy paste (highlight text to copy, middle-click to paste) - except when text is automatically highlighted in a dialog box. For instance, selecting text on a web page that I'd like to paste as a file name, when choosing "Save Image" from Firefox or Chrome, the "Save As" dialog box now has the original file name highlighted which overwrites my original "copied" text. The same issue occurs when tabbing between text fields or highlighting the URL bar. Is there a trick to get around this or prevent automatically selected text from being put in the copy buffer, or reverting to the previously selected text once the new selection is deleted/unselected?

You have two 'clipboards' in Linux.

The first is the one of which you speak, where you select text and it is pasted via `SHIFT``INSERT` or `Middle-Mouse`. This clipboard/buffer is very fickle and changes constantly. Be careful using this, especially with chat clients, because one day you'll paste your password into IRC.

The second is the standard `CTRL``C` and `CTRL``V`, or selecting **Copy** or **Paste** from a menu. This clipboard/buffer is not overwritten by the previous and should be used as a more trusted clipboard.

My recommendation is to utilize the second version of the clipboard more often.